USER INTERFACES AND ASSOCIATED PROCESSES IN EMAIL COMMUNICATION

• US 20140237382A1
• Filed: 02/13/2014
• Published: 08/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ZOHO Corporation Private Limited (ZOHO Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Cosmic Eagle, LLC
• Inventors: Grandhi, Sudheer A.
• Granted Patent: US 10,389,675 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/752
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0487 using specific features provided by the input device, e.g. functions controlled by the rotation of a mouse with dual sensing arrangements, or of the nature of the input device, e.g. tap gestures based on pressure sensed by a digitiser
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/23 Reliability checks, e.g. acknowledgments or fault reporting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases

Abstract

Methods and systems are disclosed for user interfaces and associated processes in email communication. In some embodiments, information such as address-context information of an email message is rendered to aid the user in various user interface scenarios. These scenarios include user interfaces for the Reply All command and the Send command. A Prompt is provided on the user interface in some embodiments for the usage of commands such as the Reply All command and Send command. The activation of the Reply All command in some embodiments is enabled with a predefined gesture on the user interface that is different from that used for other commands such as the Reply command. In other embodiments the gesture required for the activation of the Send command is changed based on the command that was activated to create the email message to be sent.

Claims

1. A method for email communication, executed at least in part in a computer system, the method comprising:

receiving an incoming email message having an address list;

deriving address-context information from the address list;

rendering the incoming email message; and

rendering a Reply All command associated with the incoming email message, the rendering of the Reply All command including at least a subset of the address-context information.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending the rendered incoming email message and the rendered Reply All command to a webmail application.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the computer system includes a webmail server to direct the rendered incoming email message to a portable client device, and wherein the portable client device displays the rendered incoming email message.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying the rendered incoming email message and the rendered Reply All command within a web browser.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein rendering the incoming email message comprises displaying the incoming email message.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising rendering a Reply command associated with the incoming email message and displaying, on a user interface, the rendered Reply icon with a second subset of the address-context information.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the rendering of the Reply All command comprises the subset of the address-context information.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the incoming email message and the Reply All command are rendered for simultaneous display.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the address list comprises at least one of a To address list, a Cc address list, and a Bcc address list.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the address-context information includes an abbreviated description of the address list.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the address-context information specifies the number of addresses in the address list.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying the rendered Reply All command, detecting a user action corresponding to hovering over the displayed Reply All command, and, responsive to the detection, displaying at least a portion of the address-context information in an information box.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising detecting a user action, wherein the rendering of the Reply All command is responsive to the detecting.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising detecting a user selection of the Reply All command and, responsive to the user selection of the Reply All command, prompting for user input to proceed or not with the Reply All command.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the prompt is a dialog box for the user input to proceed or not with the Reply All command.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the prompt includes displaying at least a portion of the address-context information.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying, on a user interface, a rendering of a Reply command associated with the incoming email message;

sensing a user gesture;

identifying the gesture as indicative of one of the Reply command and the Reply All command; and

activating the indicated one of the Reply command and the Reply All command.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the user interface comprises a touch screen, and wherein identifying the gesture comprises distinguishing between a single finger tap on the touch screen and a double finger tap on the touch screen.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein identifying the gesture comprises distinguishing between a single mouse click and a double mouse click.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising rendering the Reply All command with information indicating the gesture indicative of the Reply All command.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the rendering of the incoming email message and the rendering of the Reply All command are for a webmail application.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising displaying the rendered incoming email message and the rendered Reply All command within a web browser on a client device.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the computer system includes a webmail server to direct the rendered incoming email message and the rendered Reply All command to a client device, and wherein the client device displays the rendered incoming email message and the rendered Reply All command.

24. A computer system comprising:

one or more processors;

memory accessible to the one or more processors; and

one or more programs stored in the memory which when executed by the one or more processors causes the computer system to perform a method for email communication comprising;

receiving an incoming email message having an address list;

deriving address-context information from the address list;

rendering the incoming email message; and

rendering a Reply All command associated with the incoming email message, the rendering of the Reply All command including at least a subset of the address-context information.

25. One or more programs for email communication including a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing the one or more programs configured to be executed by a computer, the one or more programs including instructions for:

receiving an incoming email message having an address list;

deriving address-context information from the address list;

rendering the incoming email message; and

rendering a Reply All command associated with the incoming email message, the rendering of the Reply All command including at least a subset of the address-context information.

26. A graphical user interface on a computer system comprising:

an area of the user interface that displays an email application;

wherein an incoming email message having an address list is rendered for display on the user interface; and

wherein the Reply All command associated with the incoming email is rendered for display on the user interface wherein the rendering of the Reply All command includes at least a subset of address-context information derived from the address list.